Field Technician - Survival

Field Technician, Spekboom Restoration Project

Technical and Carbon Department (Survival Team), Eastern Cape, South Africa

Location: Jansenville, Eastern Cape

Reports to: Senior Field Technician

Start Date: January 2027

Are you ready to embark on an extraordinary adventure that will revitalise landscapes, combat climate change, and promote sustainable agriculture? Join NatCarbon Africa: a mission-driven, proudly African organisation dedicated to high-quality implementation of large-scale carbon, climate, and biodiversity projects. We embrace the power of innovative technology to enhance project execution. Community engagement lies at the heart of our projects, driven by a genuine commitment to meaningful and inclusive participation and co-benefits, such as biodiversity conservation and socioeconomic upliftment.

NatCarbon Africa seeks a Field Technician in the Technical and Carbon Department for the large-scale Spekboom Restoration Project in the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa.

With our partner, Imperative Global, our aim is to restore up to 100,000 hectares of degraded subtropical thicket biome. The Project entails planting Spekboom ( Portulacaria afra ) on privately owned land to improve ecosystem functioning and agricultural productivity over time, promote biodiversity, improve soil filtration, enhance water storage capabilities, and to reduce soil erosion. The Project is estimated to permanently store large quantities of Carbon Dioxide over the Project life, thus positively contributing towards climate change mitigation.

Position Summary:

The Field Technician will report to the Senior Field Technician and conduct in-field monitoring activities, including vegetation surveys, biomass measurements, and survival surveys across the project area. The role involves fieldwork that contributes to the collection, management, and preliminary analysis of project data, and supports the Senior Field Technician in ensuring that all monitoring activities are completed accurately and efficiently according to project protocols.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Conduct baseline and regular monitoring assessments, including vegetation surveys, biomass measurements, and survival surveys.

Assist in developing, testing, and refining Standard Operating Protocols, workflows, and field methodologies to improve efficiency, accuracy, and consistency in data collection and analysis.

Identify opportunities for innovative approaches to ecosystem monitoring, restoration assessments, and survival/biodiversity quantification.

Ensure accurate storage, management, and reporting of baseline and monitoring data.

Provide operational and field support to the Project Team as required, following guidance from the Senior Field Technician.

Document lessons learned from field activities and contribute ideas for improving protocols, tools, and workflows.

Participate in technical sessions, workshops, conferences, and other relevant events to advance the field of thicket ecosystem restoration academically and commercially.

Skills:

Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English (Afrikaans or isiXhosa advantageous).

Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.

Strong quantitative and statistics skills.

Data driven.

Ability to manage targets and priorities and develop own goals.

Must be well organized and willing to work hard.

Physically fit and comfortable working in challenging outdoor conditions.

Demonstrate a high level of personal integrity and be passionate about making a positive difference to the world.

Qualifications:

A relevant tertiary qualification in ecology, forestry, botany, environmental science, conservation or other related fields.

Knowledge and Experience:

1–2 years’ experience in a related field.

The successful candidate needs to be data driven and demonstrate a good knowledge of ecology and restoration practices.

Experience in ecological restoration is advantageous.

Knowledge of the Thicket Biome and the ability to identify key plant species is highly advantageous.

Capacity to solve complex project-related problems independently and receive general direction on new assignments.

Advanced computer literacy a must.

Excellent knowledge of GIS, using GPS and other field monitoring equipment.

Valid Driver’s Licence (with off road driving experience advantageous).

Working Conditions:

Regular travel within the Eastern and Western Cape anticipated, including to remote locations. Travel may on occasion cross weekends and holidays to accommodate project schedules. Work hours may be irregular.

Embrace a culture of continuous learning by adapting to evolving job responsibilities, driven by NatCarbon Africa’s commitment to innovation, personal growth, and shifting project priorities.

This outline of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be exhaustive. The employer reserves the right to assign the employee additional duties or responsibilities at any time, provided they are reasonably aligned with the scope of the role or necessitated by project requirements.

You will join a great team! We are:

From diverse locations and backgrounds, but all experts in our respective fields. We bring together a wide range of cross-sector experiences, ideas, and skills.

Relentless in our pursuit of excellence and innovation, always pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo. We also believe in celebrating our successes, recognising individual contributions, and taking time to support each other’s growth and development.

At our core, explorers, constantly learning, evolving, and seeking new ways to deliver impactful solutions. We are not afraid to dream big, take risks, and step out of our comfort zones because we know that together, we can achieve great things.

Compensation:

To help us attract and retain top talent, NatCarbon Africa pays employees competitively to the market, depending on experience. Salary is one component of the compensation package, which further includes health care and life insurance, contributions to each employee’s retirement plan, paid time off and support for professional development. We will recognise employees who go beyond expected performance with salary increases and/or promotions.

In return, we expect each employee to, at a minimum:

Meet expectations in terms of work effort and performance.

Take the initiative to build the skills and knowledge needed to do their job effectively; and

Embody the values of NatCarbon Africa.

How to Apply:

To apply, please send us the following:

Cover letter (not to exceed one page).

Resume/CV (not to exceed three pages).

Please add app.bamboohr.com to your contact list to ensure you receive emails from us.

NatCarbon Africa provides equal opportunity for all job applicants and employees and is committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination.

Only applications received online via the NatCarbon Africa website or LinkedIn page will be considered.